Belt-elevator



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

` ,GQ H. PERKINS.

Patented Feb. 24, Isso. d

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Belt-Eleyasor.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. H. PERKINS. n

BGM-Elevator.

' Patented Feb. 24,'1s8o.

VV. l l a .1, y, UNITED STATES PATENT i OFFICE.

GEORGE H. PERKINS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BIELT-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,843, dated February 24, 1880.

Application filed September v30, 1879.

To all whoml t may concern Beit known that I, GEORGE H. PERKINS,

of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new. and useful Improvement in Belt-Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure l is a view, in perspective, of a convenient form ,of apparatus embodying my invention; and Fig. 2, a similar view of a slightly-modified form of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever used.

My invention relates to elevators for raising or lowering blanks of tin, sheets of metal, small bodies of various kinds, corn, wheat, and other kindred substances, lumber, Inerchandise, Ste., being especially adapted for loading and unloading vessels and canalboats, andfor transporting substances from a lower to a higher point, or vice versa, in a perpendicular line, or in a line inclined from Vthe vertical, and being also adapted for use in connection with grain-elevators.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, A is the carrier l belt-an` endless apron, of any convenient materialbonveniently passed over four drums, 1, 2, 3, and 4, 3 and 4 being at the base of the elevator and preferably lying in the same horizontal plane, being also conveniently so arranged as to provide a horizontal portion of belt, as at a, in front of and beneath afecding-chute, S, through which the articles to be elevated are projected upon theA apron, soas to fall upon the horizontal portion thereof, and lying upon its surface to pass beneath the drum Q of the second or pressure apron, B, as hereinafter set forth. It is, however, to be understood that the arrangement of a horizontal portion of apron may be dispensed with, and two rollers-for instance, Q and 3-alone used at the bottom, so that the article to be carried may be caused to enter between the belts in any desired direction.

1 is the drivin g-drum of 4the carrier-belt A, located at the top of the elevator, through which motion is imparted tothe entire device. 2 is asecond drum,best located as represented, so as to cause the overlap of the carrier-belt A over the drum P to aid in forming a discharging-mouth over the receiving-chute.

It may, however, be stated that the relative position of the drums 2 and P may be so altered as to cause discharge in any desired direction, either vertically up,horizontally, or at any desired angle. The drum 1 may be dispensed with and 2 be used as a driving-drum.

B is the pressure or idler belt, likewise an endless apron, traveling over drums Q and P; P, the upper, arranged below the drum 2, so that the belt B, in passing over the same, forms the under portion of the dischargingmouth of the elevator.

The lower drum, Q, of the belt B is hung in bearings over the horizontal portion of the belt A, and in such relation causes the lower portion of the belt B to form, in connection with the belt A, the receiving-mouth of the elevator. From the point at which the belts A and B first impinge, which is on a line beneath the drum Q, the belts travel together in close frictional contact (except when at parts separated by the article conveyed) up to the point of discharge. which is on a line between the drums 2 and P, at the discharging-mouth of the elevator.

D are a series of idler-rolls, in and out of which alternately the portions of the belts in contact travel, the object whereof is to cause the belts to closely impin ge, and, by the curvature imparted to them, cause the closer grasp of the article carried. y

Gis the discharging-chute, through which the blanks pass to a hand-car or other receiving device.

F are the driving-pulleys, through the medium of which motion is imparted to the driving-drum 1. l

Gr Gr are tightening devices, attached, respectively, to the drums Q and 4, to take up any slack in either belt.

lt is obvious that for the transporting of large and heavy objects, such as lumber, brick, and the like, it may be necessary to mount the drums upon compressible spring-bearings, oi' to coat them with rubber or other yielding covering, while it may be also advisable to connect the drums of the two aprons by suitable gearing, or to directly drive separate drums. Thus drums P and l may be geared together, or drums 4 and Q or P and l may be separately driven. V

Such being the construction of the appara- IOO tus represented, it operates as follows: Rota- -tion being imparted to the driving-drum l through the medium ofthe pulleys E, the belt A is setin motion in the direction of the arrows, the movement of which belt A imparts movement to the belt B, which, throughout a portion ot' its extent, is in contact therewith, the result whereof is,that when both belts and all the rolls and drums are in action sheets of tin fed down the chute S land upon the horizontal portion of the carrier-belt A, which, traveling toward the drum Q, carries the sheets so fed upon it beneath the drinn Q and its belt B, so that the sheets,(one or many,) according as they are fed, are grasped between the two belts, and in their clutch are carried up with them in their passage through the rolls D, until tinally they are discharged through the mouth or point of separation of the belts between the rolls 2 and P into the receivingchute C. The action is, of course, reversed -to transport from above downward.

In this form oi' apparatus the object of the idler-rolls D is to insure effectual closeness between the belts throughout their lengths in contact and effectual clutch between them of the article to be elevated.

Eectual contact between the belts may be insured by other methods than the use of idlerrolls. For instance, a half or a full turn may be given to the belts, or such portions thereof as are in contact-as, for instance, in the manner represented in Fig. 2-or other obvious changes made, without departing from the substance of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- As a device for transporting sheets of metal, lumber, corn, wheat, &c., up or down, or in a direction vertical, or nearly so, two endless belts running throughoutapart of their lengths' in contact, and throughout such part-of their lengths running alternately in and out through idler-rolls D, in the manner shown and described, and adapted to receive and clutch between them the article to be transported and carry it from. one point to another.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 16th day of September, A. D. 187 9.

GEORGE H. PERKINS. In presence of- W. C. STRAWBRIDGE,

J. BoNsALL TAYLOR. 

